Yarn end cutting device in automatic bobbin changing apparatus for textile machinery



Nov. 12, 1968 SHOZO TAI ET AL 3,410,069

YARN END CUTTING DEVICE IN AUTOMATIC BOBBIN CHANGING APPARATUS FOR TEXTILE MACHINERY Filed Aug. 29, 1966 l4 I2 23 5 ll 8 4 IO 22 I? I u l3 15 II I INVENTORS 2 SHGZO TAl BY KENICHI MIHARA MI? W ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofi ice 3,410,069 Patented Nov. 12, 1968 3,410,069 YARN END CUTTING DEVICE IN AUTOMATIC BOBBIN CHANGING APPARATUS FOR TEXTILE MACHINERY Shozo Tai and Kenichi Mihara, Shimaneken, Japan, as-

signors to Deering Milliken Research Corporation, Spartanburg, S.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 575,808 Claims priority, application Japan, Feb. 3, 1966, 41/9,336 Claims. (Cl. 5752) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A yarn end cutting bar pivotally mounted on the full bobbin grasper of an automatic bobbin doffing and don ning apparatus to cut the yarn end between the full bobbin grasper and the spindle after the empty bobbin has been placed on the spindle.

This invention relates generally to textile handling apparatus and more specifically to textile handling apparatus which automatically doffs full bobbins from a spinning frame and replaces them with empty bobbins.

Prior to this invention, automatic doffing equipment usually broke the yarn end when doffing the full bobbins from the spinning frame. This resulted in yarn ends of various lengths due to the dilferent characteristics of strength, elasticity, etc., of each particular yarn causing difiiculties in the latter processing stages such as windmg.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a yarn end cutter which efiiciently cuts the yarn ends during dofiing.

Another object is to provide an automatic dolfer which will cut all the yarn ends substantially the same length after the full bobbin has been dotted from the spinning frame.

Other objects and advantages of this inventionwill be readily apparent as the specification proceeds to describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the improved automatic dofier end.

FIGURE 2 is a section view of FIGURE 1 showing the new yarn end cutter in detail.

The present invention is an arrangement such that, in an automatic bobbin exchanging apparatus which, when all the bobbins of a textile machine have become full, doffs them group by group on either side of the machine frame and then placing empty bobbins in the vacated places, the yarn ends on the full bobbins are simultaneously cut in short and equal length.

Referring to the embodiment shown in the drawing, 1 indicates spindles; 2 a spindle rail; and 3 a ring rail. 4 and 5 indicate rails for automatically exchanging bobbins, extending along the full length of the machine frame; and each suspended from a crane (not shown) by means of ropes 6 and 7 and capable of being moved by the crane along the ceiling of the mill and lowered just to the tops of the spindles. The rails 4 and 5 are vertically arranged one above the other, and the rope 7 suspending the rail 5 passes through a through hole 8 bored in the rail 4. These rails can be separately raised and lowered. Indicated at 10 are grippers for empty bobbins secured to the lower surface of the rail 4 by means of an attachment 11 and a rectangular 12. The grippers are arranged with the same spacing as the spindles 1 and adapted to lightly grip empty bobbins. Grippers 15 for full bobbins are arranged on the lower surface of the rail 5 by an attachment 14 with the same spacing as the spindles 1. An air pipe 16 extending along the full length of the machine frame is secured to the front surfaces of the grippers 15 by means of attachments 17 and connected to a hollow rubber cylinder (not shown) contained in each gripper 15 by means of short pipes 18. When air under pressure is supplied to the air pipe to inflate the rubber cylinders, the grippers 15 grip the full bobbins 20, and when the pressurized air is discharged, it releases the full bobbins.

When all the bobbins of a textile machine have become full, the crane is moved to the top of that textile machine, where the rail 5 is firstly lowered to allow the grippers 15 to fit over the full bobbins 20, and then pressurized air is supplied to the air pipe 16 to grip the full bobbins and the rail 5 is slightly raised to simultaneously pull out the thus gripped full bobbins from the spindles. Subsequently, the crane is slightly moved and lowers the rails 4 and 5 so that the empty bobbins 13 previously gripped by the grippers 10 of the rail 4 are donned on the spindles. Thus, the rails 4 and 5 are raised and the crane is moved to convey the full bobbins to the predetermined place, where the pressurized air in the air pipe 16 is discharged to release the full bobbins. The operations so far described are known as related to automatic bobbin exchanging machines for textile machinery.

A swing shaft 21 extending along substantially the full length of the machine frame is provided just below the air pipe 16 and is rotatably supported by attachments 22 secured to some of the grippers 15, a handle 23 being vertically secured to one end of said swing shaft. 24 indicates several arm levers secured to the swing shaft 21, extending below the grippers 15 and having a cutter 25 of the same length as the swing shaft supported thereon. The present invention is constituted by the aforesaid arrangement. When the grippers 15 doff the full bobbins, the yarn ends a are in connected relation to the spindles and are held down by the empty bobbins 13 and since the full bobbins have been transferred to the front side of the machine frame, the yarn ends a remain stretched. In this condition, when the handle 23 is turned in the direction of the arrow b to assume a horizontal position, the cutter 25 is rearwardly turned past the lower edges of the grippers 15 on the Way it simultaneously cuts all the yarn ends a. The handle is then returned to its original position, where it is locked.

According to the present invention, the yarn ends of full bobbins dotted by an automatic bobbin exchanging apparatus can be simultaneously cut with a single action of the handle, and that in short and equal length, so that there is an advantage that there is no possibility of causing inconvenience in processes such as transfer and winding subsequent to the dofling operation otherwise occurrable due to irregularities in the length of yarn ends.

While the apparatus disclosed and described herein constitutes the preferred form of the invention, yet it will be understood that the apparatus is capable of alteration without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that all modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims are intended to be included herein.

That which is claimed is:

1. In an automatic bobbin exchanging apparatus having empty bobbin graspers and full bobbin graspers mounted on an overhead rail system over the spindles of a spinning frame, the improvement comprising yarn cutting means operably associated with said graspers to cut the yarn between said spindles and said full bobbin graspers after the full bobbin-s have been doffed from said spindles and empty bobbins placed on said spindles.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said empty bobbin graspers and said full bobbin graspers being mounted in substantially side by side arrangement on said rail system, said yarn cutting means being connected to said rail system outside of said graspers.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said empty bobbin graspers are mounted on said rail system radially closer to said spindles than said full bobbin graspers, said yarn cutting means being mounted on said full bobbin graspers.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said yarn cutting means comprises a pivotally mounted shaft member and a cutting member attached thereto.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said cutting memher is located below said full bobbin grasper and pivots thereunder to cut the yarn end.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,353,414 9/1920 Newsholme 5752 3,123,967 3/1964 Ingham 57-52 OTHER REFERENCES 800,271 8/ 1958 Great Britain.

FRANK I. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

WERNER H. SCHROEDER, Assistant Examiner. 

